Englewood trustees OK budget with 2% tax increase

ENGLEWOOD — The school board approved a $71.29 million budget with a 2 percent tax levy increase last week, the maximum allowed without voter approval.

For the owner of a home assessed at the city average — $458,000 — this will mean an $88 increase in annual property taxes.

The board had proposed a budget for the 2014-15 school year that called for a $48.85 million tax levy, up nearly $1 million — or 2 percent — from the current budget. At a meeting May 8, however, board members discussed halving the tax increase to 1 percent, which Business Administrator Maria Engeleit said could be accomplished by using unspent unemployment funds to make a computer lease payment this year rather than during the next school year.

Several trustees objected, calling for the increase to stay at 2 percent. They argued that the money could be used toward the district's infrastructure needs or act as a cushion to protect against unforeseen costs, such as higher-than-expected enrollment or a loss in state aid.

With the state facing an $800 million shortfall in its fiscal 2014 budget, some have expressed concern that school aid might be reduced to cover the deficit. Engeleit said last week that she has not been given any indication that the state plans to cut aid for the 2014-15 school year.

Before the board adopted the budget Tuesday, trustee Henry Pruitt III proposed the board "split the difference" and increase the levy by 1.5 percent. The district, he suggested, could make the accelerated lease payment and then add funding for items that had not been budgeted, such as additional guidance counselors at the high school.

"To get to cap just because we want to … it doesn't seem, I'll call it, right," he said.

Several trustees repeated their arguments in favor of the 2 percent increase, however. While he does not want to raise taxes, said board member Devry Pazant, "My concern is, what happens if they do take that state aid?"

After much debate, the budget was adopted by a vote of 6-0. Pruitt and Harley Ungar, who had spoken in favor of the 2 percent increase, abstained.

Englewood trustees OK budget with 2% tax increase

ENGLEWOOD — The school board approved a $71.29 million budget with a 2 percent tax levy increase last week, the maximum allowed without voter approval.

For the owner of a home assessed at the city average — $458,000 — this will mean an $88 increase in annual property taxes.

The board had proposed a budget for the 2014-15 school year that called for a $48.85 million tax levy, up nearly $1 million — or 2 percent — from the current budget. At a meeting May 8, however, board members discussed halving the tax increase to 1 percent, which Business Administrator Maria Engeleit said could be accomplished by using unspent unemployment funds to make a computer lease payment this year rather than during the next school year.

Several trustees objected, calling for the increase to stay at 2 percent. They argued that the money could be used toward the district's infrastructure needs or act as a cushion to protect against unforeseen costs, such as higher-than-expected enrollment or a loss in state aid.

With the state facing an $800 million shortfall in its fiscal 2014 budget, some have expressed concern that school aid might be reduced to cover the deficit. Engeleit said last week that she has not been given any indication that the state plans to cut aid for the 2014-15 school year.

Before the board adopted the budget Tuesday, trustee Henry Pruitt III proposed the board "split the difference" and increase the levy by 1.5 percent. The district, he suggested, could make the accelerated lease payment and then add funding for items that had not been budgeted, such as additional guidance counselors at the high school.

"To get to cap just because we want to … it doesn't seem, I'll call it, right," he said.

Several trustees repeated their arguments in favor of the 2 percent increase, however. While he does not want to raise taxes, said board member Devry Pazant, "My concern is, what happens if they do take that state aid?"

After much debate, the budget was adopted by a vote of 6-0. Pruitt and Harley Ungar, who had spoken in favor of the 2 percent increase, abstained.